Moments in Time
by Caskett1960
Summary: Things that we didn't see in episodes 7x02-7x07. The second, fourth and fifth chapters will be M-rated. If these chapters offend you, then this story isn't for you.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMERS: 'Castle' is the property of Andrew W. Marlowe and ABC Studios Productions. The story is the property of the author and may not be archived without her permission.**

**SUMMARY: Things that we didn't see in episodes 7x02-7x06. The second chapter will be M-rated.**

**A/N #1: In my last story, 'Returning Home,' I got accused of making everything all about Beckett when Castle was the one who'd been abducted. I will try to explore where Castle's head is at, at least in the first chapter.**

**MOMENTS IN TIME**

**CHAPTER 1**

_At the end of 'Montreal'_

It was quiet. Too quiet. Castle lay awake staring at the ceiling long after Kate had fallen asleep with her head on his chest, her fingers occasionally stretching out to make sure that he was still there. Every now and then he'd run his fingers through her now shorter hair. He didn't know at what point during those missing two months that Kate had cut her hair. There were so many things that he didn't know.

Maybe flying back to Montreal alone had been a mistake. He hadn't planned on running into Henry Jenkins. He'd simply wanted to find the place where he'd been held. Instead of answering the questions he had, it had only opened up more.

He tried to remember back to when he'd been 11 years old. He remembered what school he'd been attending at the time; he remembered his stepfather at the time. But he didn't remember Hollander's Wood. He wondered what would come up if he Googled the name.

As carefully as he could, he moved Kate from his chest onto her pillow before sitting up. "Castle?" She reached out for him. "Where are you going?"

"Go back to sleep," he threw back the covers.

"What's wrong?" She sat up, following him to the edge of the bed.

"I just can't sleep."

She bit her lip before placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Rick, I know what it's like to get too much inside of your head."

"Kate, I was 11 years old. I don't remember everything that I was doing at that age, but I can't imagine seeing or doing something so awful that I'd want to forget. And if I did see something, why wouldn't I have told my mother?"

"I don't know," Kate tugged on his hand as he turned to face her on the bed. "Maybe someone threatened her. Maybe she wasn't around. I know that it isn't going to be easy, but for right now, I think we should just get back to normal. We'll get all of the answers to whatever happened to you during those two months; just not right now."

"I so wanted to see you that day," he reached up and cupped her face, feeling her lean into his hand. "I bet you looked absolutely breathtaking."

"I'm sure that you probably looked amazing, too," she smiled.

"Well, I do have a tendency to look great in a tuxedo," he teased as Kate rolled her eyes.

"Come here," she lay back on her pillow, pulling him down with her. He rested his head on her shoulder, cuddling into her as she softly stroked his arm.

"Can I ask you something?" His voice was soft in the quiet darkness.

"What?"

"Why did you cut your hair?"

"Um . . . it was after we saw the video," Kate fought to keep her voice steady. "The one where it showed you putting the money in the dumpster. I went home that night and I felt so hopeless. I sat on my sofa in the dark and cried for what seemed like hours. I could feel you . . . I could feel the way that you tuck my hair behind my ears sometimes and I couldn't stand it. I missed you so much, and I wanted to understand what was going on. Anyway, I went the next day and got my hair cut. I wanted it shorter, but my stylist convinced me to keep it shoulder length."

"I like it," he glanced up at her.

"We should get some sleep."

"Roll onto your side," he urged her as he sat up so that she could roll onto her side. He then tucked himself behind her, his hand resting on her hip, his fingers softly stroking as they both finally succumbed to exhaustion.

Kate awoke the next morning to the tantalizing aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Since it was still dark in the room, she thought at first that her brain was playing tricks on her. But she rolled over in time to find Castle climbing back into bed with a cup of coffee in his hand. "Did you actually go to sleep or did you just wait for me to go to sleep before you got up?" She sat up, leaning back on her elbows.

"No, I slept. A little," he held the cup out to her. He saw her eyes briefly cloud over as she reached out for the cup, her fingers brushing against his. "Is something wrong? You looked a little . . . sad just now."

"Right after you disappeared, I was at my desk when this cup of coffee suddenly appeared in front of my face. For about 20 seconds I was so happy because I thought that you'd come back and was bringing me coffee."

"Who was it?" He sat on the bed beside her.

"Javi. He didn't even realize that he'd done anything wrong. I mean, he hadn't done anything wrong. He was just doing something that he'd seen you do a few hundred times. I think of everything that I missed about you being gone, I missed you bringing me coffee the most."

Castle slid up against the headboard, slipping an arm around Kate as she sipped her coffee. "If I could remember everything about those two months, do you know what I would've missed about you the most?"

"No, what?" She looked at him.

"Your smile. When I first met you, it was so hard to get a smile out of you. When I'd get one, I felt like I'd won the lottery. But once we became a couple, you'd give me these smiles that I knew were only meant for me. Those were the smiles that I know I'd miss if I remembered being gone for two months. I know that I miss them when I'm gone on book tours. Those smiles make my day better. When I woke up in that hospital bed and you weren't there with that smile—" his voice dropped off as he stared down at Kate.

The look on his face broke Kate's heart. She knew that the memory loss was particularly troubling to Castle. She knew that as a writer, he was always on the lookout for the story and this time none of them knew what the story was. But she also knew that her pulling back from him was troubling to him. She wasn't even sure that she could explain to him why she was pulling back. At first it was because she thought that he'd been lying to her about the memory loss. But that was no longer the case.

She leaned over and placed her coffee cup on the end table before moving back against Castle's side. She tilted her face up and softly kissed him, letting out a whimper when he tried to deepen the kiss. She pulled away and reached up, her fingers tracing his mouth. He noticed tears shining in her eyes. "Kate? Hey, what's wrong?"

"I have to get ready for work," she moved to her side of the bed and got up, pulling her robe on before going to the bathroom and closing the door.

Castle sighed deeply before also getting out of bed and walking to the bathroom door, knocking on it a couple of times. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah," he heard Kate's voice from the other side.

He walked in just as she was stripping out of her clothes to get into the shower. The sight of her naked never failed to affect him. Normally she'd invite him to join her instead of standing there staring at her, but this time, she just returned his stare. "Are you going to come to the precinct with me?" She asked before turning on the water.

"Maybe later this morning. I have a meeting at Black Pawn this morning. Apparently I have some stuff to make up since I missed some book tours due to my accident."

"Is Paula going to reschedule?" Kate asked, feeling somewhat panic-stricken. He'd just come back. She wasn't sure she was ready for him to leave again.

"I don't know. I guess that's what I'm going to find out this morning. I hate seeing you so broken because of what I've done. I don't know how to fix us."

Kate reached inside of the shower and turned off the water before pulling her robe back on. "Rick, I'm not broken because of anything that you've done. We're going to find our way back. We both have stuff that we have to deal with. Right now, we're both broken."

"Someday, will you tell me about those two months? Tell me how you dealt with it besides staring at my picture on the murder board and almost shooting the night janitor for taking my chair away."

"No. And it's not because I don't want you to know," she walked up to him and slipped her arms around his waist. "It's because I don't want to relive it. All that I will tell you is that it was awful and it gave me a lot of insight to how my dad felt after my mom was murdered. I have you back now and that's more important than anything else. We have each other. And I still love you. Nothing about that has changed. Like I told you last night, I'm not going anywhere."

"I should let you take a shower. How about some breakfast?" He smiled down at her.

"I'd like that since you woke me up at the crack of dawn," she returned his smile.

"Bacon and eggs okay?"

"Perfect," she lifted up on her toes, pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

When she came out of the shower, Castle was just dishing up scrambled eggs, bacon and an English muffin onto a plate, which he placed on the counter. Kate sat down and began to eat, smiling when Castle put a fresh cup of coffee in front of her. "Do you want to do something this weekend?" He asked, coming around with his own plate and sitting down beside her.

"Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe we could walk around Central Park or go to a movie. I could get us reservations for Nobu or Drago for dinner."

Kate thought that going out to dinner sounded like a wonderful idea. They had both been talking about getting their lives back to normal and nothing spelled normal like going to dinner together. There was nothing that Kate enjoyed more than an evening out with her fiancé. She knew that he enjoyed showing her off, which had been unnerving at the beginning of their relationship, but which she had now got used to. She loved dressing up for him. It made her feel feminine and sexy, two things she didn't get to be on the job.

"I'd love to go out with you. We haven't done that in so long," she put her hand over his.

"Great. I'll make reservations when I get out of my meeting with Gina."

"I have to go," Kate hopped off of her barstool, glancing at her watch. "Call or text me when you get out of your meeting."

"I will," he followed her to the door, helping her into her light jacket. "Be careful."

"You, too," she turned and kissed him. "I'll talk to you in a couple of hours."

After closing the door, Castle walked over and took their plates into the kitchen. He was washing them when Martha came downstairs. "Good morning, darling," she walked into the kitchen, kissing him on the cheek before going to make herself a cup of coffee.

"Good morning, mother," he smiled. "I thought that you'd already left."

"No, I have a late morning class today. How is Katherine?"

"She's fine. Why do you ask?"

"Did the two of you get to talk about your little excursion?"

"Yeah, we talked about it," he sighed, grabbing a dishcloth to wipe down the countertop.

"Is something wrong, Richard?"

"I just feel like I've messed everything up," he hung the dishcloth on the oven handle. "I hate not knowing what happened during those two months. I hate not remembering something that happened when I was a kid."

"Richard, please don't punish yourself. Yes, those two months devastated all of us. Kate still loves you. I still love you. Alexis still loves you. We're all willing to do whatever it takes to put the pieces of the puzzle together. But right now, I think that you and Katherine need to try to get your lives back on track. I know that you still love each other very much. I know that she still wants to marry you."

"We talked about that last night. I told her that I wanted to marry her right now, today. She suggested that we wait."

"That sounds like good advice. How long are you going to wait?"

"She said that we'll talk about it again in a month."

"A fall wedding sounds wonderful. Very romantic," Martha smiled. "I have to go."

"I'll see you later, mother."

***CCC***

"How's Castle?" Espo rolled his chair up beside Kate's.

"He's fine," Kate's voice was terse, indicating that she didn't want to talk about it.

"Are you still planning on getting married?"

"Of course, we're still planning on getting married. It's just everything is so out of whack right now," Kate ran her hands through her hair. "He took another trip to Montreal yesterday. _Alone_."

"Why in the hell did he do that?"

"He saw something on the video that couple gave us. He found the building where they were holding him. He also ran into the fake Henry Jenkins."

"Is he okay?" Espo asked, his voice full of concern.

"Yeah. He told us last night that Jenkins told him that they gave him something to make him forget. Apparently, something happened when Castle was 11 years old. These people got the story out of him for whatever reason. I don't know if it's so they can blackmail him later or what. Whatever happened must've been so horrific that Rick asked them to make him forget."

"Did Jenkins say anything about the other people who were holding him?"

"No. Right now, I think it's best if we all just let it go. Castle needs to try to move past it. I need to try to move past it. He wanted me to marry him today. I managed to convince him that we're not ready. We're going to wait a month and then we're going to set another date."

"That's good," he smiled.

"Yeah, I can't wait," she bit her lip.

***CCC***

Walking out of the publishing offices of Black Pawn, Castle walked over to the Town Car he'd called that morning and dismissed the driver, choosing to walk back to the loft, even though it was more than 20 blocks. Like most New Yorkers, walking long distances didn't faze him. Normally he'd observe the people walking around him, making up stories in his head about where they were going and what they were doing.

Today was different though. Today he was lost in his own thoughts, much as he had been for the past two weeks since his return home. He didn't sleep well. He knew that Kate was aware of that, but it was just one more thing that they didn't talk about. Just as they didn't talk about their ruined wedding or his lost memory. Now there was one more thing for them to _not _talk about. His upcoming book tour. For the first time since becoming a published author, he didn't want to go.

He was safe at home. Although he didn't remember anything about those two months, he now knew that he was safe. He was safe surrounded by his mother, Alexis, and especially Kate. Kate would never let anything happen to him. She was his solid ground. Right now he felt the need to stay anchored to her. The thought of leaving her for even one day was suddenly frightening to him.

He'd tried explaining that to Gina and Paula, but all his agent and publisher could see was dollar signs. He was a best-selling author and they were dependent on him to keep sales high. He felt his phone vibrate in his back pocket. He walked over to an awning and pulled it from his pocket. He had a message from Kate. **'Castle, are you still coming to the precinct?'**

He thought for a few minutes before sending her a message back. **'Meetings took longer than expected. I'll see you at home l8er. ILY.'**

***CCC***

Kate frowned when she read the message on her phone. "Is something wrong?" Ryan asked, as the three of them sat in the break room eating lunch.

"No. I thought Castle was going to come up here this afternoon, but he said his meetings took longer than he expected."

"That's not unusual," Espo pointed out. "His meetings have gone on a long time before."

"Are things okay between the two of you? Espo told me about Castle going back to Montreal," Ryan said with a mouthful of Kung Pao chicken.

"I think the whole memory loss thing is really bothering him a lot. He's not sleeping well. I don't think he's too anxious to leave on his next book tour."

"That's understandable," Ryan told her. "He was gone for two months. He probably worries about leaving you and his family again. How are Martha and Alexis?"

"They're fine. They're both catering to Castle quite a bit, but I guess that's to be expected. They want to make up for lost time. Actually, they're starting to spoil him rotten," she made a face as the boys laughed.

"Well, he is like a big kid," Espo reminded her as Kate nodded and grinned.

She hadn't heard from Rick by the time she left the precinct, which worried her. It was rare that his meetings with Gina and Paula took all afternoon. Before she left the precinct parking garage to head for the loft, she called Gina. "Hello?" She answered after her secretary forwarded the call.

"Gina, this is Kate Beckett. I was wondering if Rick was still there. He texted me earlier that his meeting with you went longer than he'd expected."

"Kate, our meeting broke up at around 11 this morning. I assumed that Rick was going home. I know he wasn't happy about the upcoming book tour. In fact, he acted like a two-year-old about it. I half-expected him to throw himself on the floor kicking his arms and legs."

"Yeah, well he's facing a lot of stuff right now," Kate felt like slapping Castle's ex-wife. "Maybe I'll find him at home." She ended the call before Gina could say anything else. She then called Castle's cell phone, which went straight to voicemail. "Hey, babe. It's me. Are you okay? Please call me. I love you and I'm worried about you."

Forty-five minutes later, she entered the quiet loft. "Castle? Rick? Is anybody home?"

She was about to call Castle's cell again when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. "Hello, Katherine. I thought I heard you call out," Martha's voice called out cheerfully. "Richard isn't with you?"

"No. He texted me earlier and told me that his meeting at Black Pawn went longer than he'd expected. But I talked to Gina when I left the precinct and she said that their meeting let out this morning. I've tried calling Rick's cell, but it goes straight to voicemail. Martha, you don't think he went back to Montreal, do you?"

"Oh darling, I doubt it. He knew how much his little road trip upset you and Alexis. He seemed very down this morning after you left. He feels so badly thinking that he somehow ruined your special day."

"Nothing that happened that day was his fault. I've told him that," Kate walked over and sat down on the sofa. "Gina said that he's upset about the book tour. She said that he practically had a meltdown about it."

"I'm sure that he's worried about leaving you again."

"I don't want him to go either, but I know that's part of his world. If I could go with him, I would."

"Is there any reason why you couldn't take some time off and go for a portion of it? I'm sure that would make Richard feel so much more secure."

"I could, I guess. Especially since I didn't take the time that we were going to use for our honeymoon. He wanted to take me today and marry me. I convinced him that we're not ready. We haven't exactly . . . connected since he came home."

"Kate, Richard's only been home a little over two weeks. You're going to get back to being that couple that you were before this awful thing happened."

"I know. Rick wants to go out Saturday to do some of those things that we did together before this happened. It's a good first step."

"Yes, it is. Maybe he went for a long walk. He used to take these long walks when he was a kid. Sometimes he'd find himself miles from home. I'm sure that's what he's out there doing right now."

"I think I know where he might've gone," Kate jumped up and went to the closet to grab her light jacket. "Thank you, Martha!"

"You're welcome, kiddo," Martha called after her, giving her a light wave.

Kate had told him about her walls at their swings; Castle had proposed to her at the same swings. She walked across the park, smiling when she spotted him sitting on his swing, barely moving, scuffing the ground with the toe of his shoe. "Castle, you had me worried. I've been calling you for the last hour. Are you okay?"

"I have to leave on my book tour in January."

"I know. Gina told me that you were upset."

"You called Gina?" He looked at her in surprise.

"I was worried about you. You didn't answer my calls. So yes, I called your ex-wife."

"Kate, I don't want to go. I want to be married to you. I want to stay here with you," he sounded like a lost little boy, much as he had when Jerry Tyson had framed him for murder almost two years earlier.

"Rick, I know that you don't want to go," she knelt down in front of his swing and took his hands. "I don't want you to go, but book tours are part of your job just like catching murderers is a big part of my job. I'm going to miss you terribly, but what if I'm able to come with you for part of the tour?"

"You'd do that?"

"Of course I'd do that," she smiled brightly, earning a return smile from him. "How long is the tour going to be?"

"Almost three months."

"Tonight we'll sit down with the schedule and work out a way for me to meet you somewhere on the tour. I can talk to Capt. Gates in the morning. I have no intention of letting you out of my sight for another three months, even if I do know where you're going to be this time."

"I didn't mean to worry you. I just needed to think," he got up from his swing, pulling Kate into his side as they walked across the park. "How did you know where I was?"

"Your mother said something about how you sometimes liked to walk to clear your head. She said there were times when you'd end up miles from home. That's how I knew that I'd find you here," she smiled at him as he tucked her tighter against him.

"Do you think we can take a cab home?"

"Yeah, we can take a cab," she pressed up and kissed him on the cheek. "We're going to be okay, Rick."

**A/N #2: It took me forever to finish this chapter. That's what I get for playing Farmville 2 when I should be writing. **

**Follow me:**

**Twitter: at Caskett1960**

**Tumblr: Caskett1960**

**Facebook: Cindy Wylie**


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMERS: I own nothing that you'd recognize.**

**A/N #1: There is going to be no plot to this chapter. It's going to be pretty much nothing but Caskett-y sexy times. Because, let's face it, after more than two months of not doing anything, we all know that they weren't finished after just one round. This chapter is most definitely rated M.**

**CHAPTER 2**

_At the end of 'Clear and Present Danger'_

"Fuck, Rick! Oh my god," Kate panted, whimpered and groaned loudly at the feel of Castle's tongue and fingers between her legs.

Castle flattened his tongue, pressing it hard against Kate's clit, earning another loud groan from his fiancée. Her feet were clamped onto his shoulders, her thighs trembling under his hands. He knew that she was close. It was evident in the sounds that she was making, the thrusting of her hips against his mouth. He felt her reach for his hand, her fingers interlacing with his. He removed one hand from her leg, moving it to her entrance and slowly entering her as he felt her tighten up around him. "Let go, Kate," he urged her, moving his thick digit inside of her.

The buildup was one of the most intense feelings Kate had ever felt in her life. She tightened her grip on Castle's hand, gripping the sheet hard with her free hand. "Oh god, Castle. That feels so amazing," she managed to whimper before the explosion hit.

Castle loved the feel of her, the taste of her as she came. Her spasms went on for several minutes before she finally began to come down from her orgasm. Her flesh jolted under his lips and teeth as he gently nipped the inside of her thighs before moving his way slowly back up her body, kissing and nibbling along the way.

He cupped Kate's face, slowly kissing her before she somehow managed to flip him over onto his back. He smiled up into her shining eyes, loving the way that he'd made her skin all flushed and sweaty. She gave him an impish grin before sweeping her hair out of the way and attacking his mouth with her own. He let his hands travel down her back to her ass, squeezing it in his hands. "Kate Beckett, I hope that I never get enough of you," he was able to finally choke out.

"Well, you might get your wish tonight," she reached down for him, stroking him in her hand as he swallowed thickly.

"Shit, Kate," he growled at the feel of her sinking down around him. He pulled her down, kissing her passionately and thrusting up into her.

Their first round earlier in the evening had been fast for both of them; more than two months of not being together showing in their actions. But now they wanted to savor each other.

Kate straightened up and grabbed Castle's hands, bringing them up to her breasts as she ground herself against him. They kept their eyes glued on each other, his dark blue eyes meeting her smoky hazel gaze. He filled his hands with her breasts, feeling her nipples rub against the palms of his hand. He listened to Kate's breathing speed up as she moved up and down on his hardness. She threw her head back, and moved faster, her breath coming out in a series of whimpers and small screams.

He moved his hands down to her hips, guiding her frenzied movements against him. He groaned when she squeezed her muscles around him. "Shit, Kate," he gasped. She looked at him, smiling before she repeated the motion. "I'm close, Kate. Do that again."

She grabbed one of his hands from her hip, shoving it to the place where they were joined. "Touch me and I'll think about it," she panted as he grinned, rubbing two of his fingers against her swollen clit in just the way he knew that she liked. "Harder, Castle! Harder and faster!"

She squeezed around his cock as he continued to rub her hardened pearl. "Fuck, Kate!" He shouted.

"Oh shit, Castle," Kate answered him as she felt the heat of him spilling inside of her. She felt his arms come around her when she collapsed onto his chest. "I love you so damn much."

"I love you, too," he pressed his lips to her damp temple, rubbing circles on her back as he felt her heart pounding against his own. They let out simultaneous groans when he softened and slipped out of her. "I missed this."

"I told you; you had amnesia for two months. I still missed it more," she kissed his neck, shoulder, and chest before cuddling on top of him. "Do you want me to move?"

"No," he somehow got under the disheveled bedclothes, throwing the comforter over the both of them. "I missed this most of all."

"I don't think I'm finished yet, Castle," she reached for his hand, feeling his fingers curl around hers.

"Well, I am," he mumbled sleepily. "At least for right now. My batteries need to recharge."

Kate moved off of the top of him, curling up into his side as his arm came around her to hold her close. "I love you, Rick," she kissed his shoulder.

"I love you, too," he murmured, his eyes closing and his breathing evening out.

Kate lay awake, watching him, her skin still feeling electrified by his touch. The bed was a mess, the result of their first coupling earlier in the evening. She smiled, remembering how the two of them had rolled around the bed, each fighting for dominance. They had both burst out laughing when Kate had accidentally kicked one of the lamps off of the nightstand. Laughing during sex was among one of the many things Kate had missed about Castle during those long two months without him.

After they'd paused long enough to pick the lamp up from the floor, they returned to their frenzied lovemaking. There hadn't been the need for much foreplay. They were both more than ready for the other one. It also hadn't taken long for either of them to reach orgasm. She smiled when she remembered how sweetly Castle had apologized until she'd assured him that she'd been right there with him; that he had nothing to apologize for. They'd both started laughing together once again.

She startled when she heard him cry out in his sleep. She stroked his chest with her fingertips, hoping that he wouldn't wake up into a full-fledged nightmare. She knew that he hadn't been sleeping well since returning home; his sleep dotted with nightmares. So far, he'd been unable or unwilling to tell Kate or anybody else what he dreamt about. She understood how it was to suffer from nightmares. She understood not to push him. She made sure that she was there to hold him and soothe him back to sleep when he needed her to and to back off when he wanted to be left alone.

Castle's body twitched and he called out for her in his sleep. "Shh, Rick. I'm right here," she whispered. "You're okay. You're safe."

She moved closer into his warmth, letting him know that she was right there with him. She continued stroking his chest and stomach, feeling his body gradually relax once again. But he didn't stay relaxed for long. Within minutes, she felt him stiffen up again as his legs kicked out. She sat up and touched his face with her hand, brushing her thumb over the lines of his face. She smiled when his eyes slowly opened and he gave her a sleepy smile. "I was dreaming."

"I know," she whispered, even though they were the only ones in the loft.

"It was dark and I couldn't find you," he reached up and threaded his fingers through her tangled hair.

"I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

"We're getting back on track, aren't we, Kate? I mean, we're both finding our solid ground again?"

"We're definitely getting there," she bent down, covering his lips with her own, feeling his hands come around her to draw her closer. "In a few more weeks, we'll set another date, Castle. I promise. I can't wait to be your wife. I mean that."

"Do you know what I want to do right now?" He looked at her with twinkling blue eyes.

"I have a pretty good idea," she couldn't help but grin back.

"Katherine Beckett, get your mind out of the gutter," he threw back the covers and got out of bed. "I want to take a bath."

"You tell _me _to get my mind out of the gutter, and yet you want to take a bath. You do remember how our baths usually end, don't you?" She loved looking at him. His hair was seriously disheveled from their earlier lovemaking and everything about him was just adorable.

"You know that you long to get into the tub with me. It's written all over your face," he sat on the edge of the bed as she propped herself up on one elbow. "Come on, admit it. You can't get enough of me."

"I might need some persuading," her smile was devilish as he grinned and moved closer to her, his lips coming down on her neck as she burst into peals of delighted laughter. She wound her arms around his neck, holding him tightly. "I missed all of this so much, Castle. I missed laughing with you, loving you, sharing long bubble baths with you."

He pulled away and gently touched her face. "I missed all of this too, Kate. I know that I had amnesia for two months, but I know that I can't bear being away from you for even two days. Two months is like forever. Let's go take a long bath and make up stories about Bobo Fett."

"Do you think we can blindfold him? I always feel like he's watching us," she allowed Castle to take her hand and lead her off of the bed and into the bathroom.

***CCC***

Castle had been right. Kate had longed to be like this with him; the two of them relaxing in a vanilla scented bubble bath, the steam from the water wafting up around them, Rick's arms and legs wrapped around her in a grip that made her feel so secure and so loved. She'd never felt like this with any other man she'd been with.

She had sunk down in the tub until she could rest her head against Castle's chest. She smiled at the feel of his heart beating against her back, his fingers lightly stroking her arms. "I'm telling you, Castle, he's staring at us," she nodded toward the figure of Bobo Fett, standing sentry by the shower.

"How can you tell? You can't even see his eyes."

"I'm a detective. Believe me, he's staring."

"You know, I bet that I can make you forget all about Bobo Fett," he managed to turn her so that she was lying on top of him. He kissed her, letting his hands travel down to cup her ass, squeezing it as she smiled against his lips.

"How many other women came in here in the middle of the night and got totally freaked out by that?" She remembered the first night they'd slept together when she got up to relieve herself and found herself face to face with the Star Wars character. She still wasn't sure how she'd stopped herself from screaming out.

"I don't know, but you're the only woman that matters anymore. If he freaks you out that much, I can move him somewhere else."

Kate knew that he would, too. He'd already moved the picture of Linus from their bedroom, replacing him with the seashells from their first trip together to the Hamptons. "I've ignored him for this long. I guess he can stay. Now shut up and kiss me."

Kate moaned against Castle's mouth when she felt his fingers once more between her legs, rubbing her in just the way that she liked. She jolted in his arms when she felt him press against her clit, the pads of his fingers doing indescribable things to her. She let her lips travel from his lips to his jaw and down to his throat, listening to his breath quicken. Reaching her hand down, she enclosed her fingers around the thick length of him, sliding her hand up and down his erection. "Kate," he growled out, swallowing hard as she continued to stroke him, her thumb rubbing around his tip.

"What?" She bit his earlobe, smiling when he growled again.

"As fantastic as your hand feels, if you don't stop, things are going to end pretty quickly."

"Really?" She pulled away from him, her eyes bright as she gave him that bright smile that was reserved only for him.

Castle considered himself the luckiest man in the world to get those smiles from Kate. He loved that he could make her so happy. He gasped when he felt her rub his shaft along her silky wetness before she eased herself down on top of him, letting out a gasp of her own at the feel of him filling her.

Attacking his lips with hers, Kate began to move fast and furious on him, soon causing the water in the tub to slosh over the sides. Neither of them cared as he grabbed her hips and thrust up into her as she met him on the down thrust. It didn't take long before both of their voices echoed into shouts and screams of ecstasy against the tiled walls of the bathroom.

Castle held Kate close to his chest after she'd collapsed on top of him. He heard her whimper when he softened and slipped out of her. "That was incredible," she whispered against him, shivering at the feel of his fingers lightly stroking her wet back.

"I think we're going to have to mop the floor," he said as she followed his gaze to the floor where a huge puddle of water was starting to spread.

"What else is new?" She looked at him before laughing against his shoulder.

"Scoot back," he told her as she complied. He then stood up and stepped over the edge of the tub onto the water-logged bathmat. He then held his hand out and helped Kate from the tub, grabbing a towel from the nearby rack to dry her off.

She then took another towel and used it to carefully dry him off, paying particular attention to the lower part of his anatomy. She gave him a sly smile as she dried him. "I think my batteries are seriously drained, Beckett," he told her.

After cleaning the water from the floor, they strolled back into their bedroom, getting under the covers stark naked. Kate lay on her stomach, watching as Castle got into bed beside her, rolling onto his side so that he could pull her into his embrace. She threw her leg over his hip, getting as close as possible before closing her eyes and letting sleep claim her.

Holding her close to him, Castle watched her sleep, a small smile playing on her lips. Holding her like this and watching her sleep was definitely his favorite way of ending his day. He didn't know how he could possibly make up for ruining her special day, but at least she still loved him. At least she wasn't going to go anywhere. He kissed her forehead, feeling her reach out for his hand. He tucked her fingers into his, brushing over her engagement ring as he closed his eyes and went to sleep.

**A/N #2: I'm sorry it took so long to update this chapter. I've been working on a loom project for Christmas. But seriously, how great was that wedding? My only complaint was I wanted to see a conversation between Kate and her dad. But, that's why we have fan fiction. **

**Follow me: **

**Twitter: at Caskett1960**

**Tumblr: Caskett1960**

**Facebook: Cindy Wylie**


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMERS: If I owned 'Castle,' there wouldn't have been a fake green screen at the wedding.**

**SUMMARY: Post 7x04 'Child's Play,' Castle learns more about the pain that Kate and Alexis went through following his disappearance.**

**A/N #1: I'm sorry this has taken so long to post. There will be two more chapters after this one. **

**Chapter 3**

"So, how are your classes going?" Castle asked his daughter as they both sat at a table enjoying hot fudge sundaes.

"Okay," Alexis' face fell as she pretended to be concentrating on her ice cream treat.

Castle knew his daughter well enough to know that she wasn't telling him the complete truth. Her behavior over the past couple of weeks had sent up red flags to both him and Beckett. The normally confident, self-assured Alexis had become clingy, wanting to know where he was every second. Her explanation had been that his two-month disappearance had unnerved her. She had also brought up the events of what had happened to her in Paris.

"Alexis?"

"I . . . I might have to take a couple of classes again. I just couldn't go to class. I couldn't go to class and act like everything in my life was normal when I didn't know where you were." She looked at her father, blinking back tears.

"Sweetie, I am _so _sorry. I wish that I knew how to fix this, but I don't."

"Mom flew out for a few days right after you disappeared," Alexis took a deep breath. "But you know how she is with Gram. And I could tell that she was really upsetting Kate. She wanted to stay at the loft. She said it was because she wanted to take care of me." Alexis huffed out a laugh before she continued. "That was a laugh. Mom has never taken care of me in her life. I knew that Kate and Gram didn't want her staying at the loft. I asked her to please get a hotel room."

"How did she take it?"

"Like she usually takes anything that you tell her. Like it's all about her. We got into a huge screaming match. Kate told me later that she had never seen me that angry. I don't even remember what I said. All I remember was all of the fear and rage coming out. I couldn't take care of me, Gram, or Kate. I didn't want to have to take care of her."

"Alexis, it's not your job to take care of your Gram or Kate. It was never your job to take care of me. I feel like I made you grow up much faster than you should have. I should've been the grown-up. You were just a little girl."

"Dad, it's okay," Alexis smiled through tear-rimmed blue eyes. "I liked being the grown-up. And you were the grown-up when you had to be. It was fun growing up with you. All of my friends' fathers are so serious. I liked being with someone who knew how to have fun."

"How long did your mom stay?" He asked.

"Four days. I told her to go back to L.A. She wanted to have lunch with me, Gram, and Kate. I could tell that Kate and Gram didn't want to go, but I convinced them. After all, she had been married to you. Dad, it was awful. Mom came to the restaurant armed with a list of ideas for a memorial service. Gram got so upset. Gram and Kate had been the strong ones after . . . that day. But I watched Gram just disintegrate before my eyes. I couldn't take it anymore. I told mom that she needed to go back to L.A. I told her that there wasn't going to be a service of any kind until we knew something one way or the other. That night, I heard Kate in your office. It was the first time that I'd heard her cry since that day. She didn't know that I heard her, but the next day she moved out and went back to her apartment."

"Sweetie, Kate didn't move out because of your mother. I still don't know why she moved out, but I do know that it had nothing to do with your mother or with you."

"Kate was really great right after everything happened. I missed almost two weeks of school. Kate was the one who told me that I needed to go back. She talked about how bad it had been when her mom got murdered. She said that she also missed a lot of school and that she had to work her ass off to get her grades back up. She offered to help me as much as she could."

"Alexis, you're smart and you're tenacious. I know that you can bring your grades back up."

"It's just . . . I've never had failing grades before. I'm so embarrassed," she ran her hands through her hair.

"You've also never had your father disappear for two months. I think under the circumstances, I can ignore a few failing grades. Are you starting to catch up?"

"Yeah. My counselor found me a great tutor. I'm sorry that I've been so clingy and wanting to know where you are every five minutes."

"Alexis, I understand your fear. I was the same way after Paris. At night after you went to sleep, I'd sit in your room, worried that you'd have a nightmare and I wouldn't be there if you needed me."

"So, is Kate expecting you home?"

"Kate had paperwork. How about a movie?" He smiled at her.

"A romantic comedy?" Alexis grinned as Castle rolled his eyes.

"Fine, let's go see a chick flick," he stood up and offered his hand to Alexis, who happily grabbed it.

"Dad, are we actually going to ride our scooters to the movies?" She was referring to the pair of scooters he'd bought earlier that afternoon.

"They fold up. We can carry them with us. Come on."

***CCC***

Kate was sitting at the counter eating a salad while reading when Martha breezed into the loft. "Hello, kiddo," she chirped, walking over and giving Kate an affectionate squeeze. "Where's Richard?" 

"He's spending some quality father/daughter time with Alexis. They went out for ice cream. But he texted me a couple of hours ago to let me know that they were going to catch a movie. They should be back any time now."

"I'm glad that Alexis is getting to spend some time with Richard. It's been a while since they've been able to spend any time together."

"I guess she was freaking out a little today. School let out at 2:30, but we had a celebration with the kids for Castle's last day, so we got delayed. Alexis texted him wanting to know where he was."

"It's been hard for her to let him out of her sight. Hell, it's hard for me to let him out of my sight even though I know that he's perfectly safe with you," Martha sat down on the barstool next to Kate.

"I know how you feel," Kate placed her hand over Martha. "I know that he's with Alexis, but I keep expecting her to call me telling me that he's gone missing again. I wake up a hundred times in the night just to make sure he's still there. If he gets up to go write or to go to the bathroom, I freak out. I wonder when that fear goes away."

"Darling, it never goes away. Do you remember how hard it was for Richard when he brought Alexis back from Paris?"

"I can't count the number of nights when I found him asleep by her bed. I'm really worried about Alexis though, Martha."

"She'll be fine, Kate. She's back in class and working to bring her grades back up."

Kate didn't argue, although she wasn't as sure as her future mother-in-law. She knew from experience that Alexis was showing a lot of symptoms of PTSD, which wasn't surprising considering the summer they'd all suffered through. "Martha, do you ever think about that day?"

"What do you mean?"

"Sometimes, when I'm with Castle, my mind flashes back to that day. I see his car at the bottom of that embankment, and I can smell the smoke."

"Darling, I try _not _to think about that day. Besides, we have Richard back now. He might not remember anything about those two months, but he's otherwise healthy and whole. He told me that you're talking about setting a new date for the wedding. That's all good news."

"Yeah, it is," Kate smiled.

"Alexis is going to be fine. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to work on my class plan for the week," Martha got up, hugging Kate one last time before heading for the stairs.

"Goodnight, Martha."

Kate was relaxing on the couch, reading a book on her tablet when she heard a key in the door shortly after nine. She sat up and smiled when Castle and Alexis walked into the loft, carrying their new scooters, laughing at something one of them had said. "Hey, you two. How was the movie?"

"It was good," Alexis smiled, giving her dad a hug and a kiss. "I'm really beat. Thanks for the day out, dad. And thanks for the scooter."

"You're welcome, sweetie," Castle smiled brightly, watching Alexis go upstairs to her room before walking over to the couch and flopping beside Kate. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself," she moved forward, kissing him softly. "Um, you taste like buttered popcorn. How's Alexis?"

"I think she'll be okay. Come on, let's go to bed," he stood up, taking her hand and pulling her upward.

They went into the bathroom and got ready for bed, brushing their teeth side by side in front of the bathroom vanity. After finishing in the bathroom, they got into bed, Kate cuddling against Castle as he pulled the sheet and comforter over the two of them. "Kate, why didn't you tell me that Meredith showed up after my disappearance?"

"Castle, you were missing. Alexis needed a parent. I know that Meredith is a flake, but she's still your daughter's mother."

"Kate, I'm not upset," he looked down at her. "I'm just wondering why you never told me."

"It never crossed my mind to tell you. She upset all of us so badly," Kate blinked back tears. "She wanted to organize this huge memorial service which was the last thing that any of us wanted. Castle, a memorial service would've meant that we had to accept that you were gone. Alexis got particularly upset. I've never seen her like that, Rick. If your mother and I hadn't held her back, I think she would've clawed Meredith's eyes out."

"Kate, Alexis said that you and mother were also upset by what Meredith did."

"Rick, I was upset because I missed you so badly. What Meredith did was like pouring gasoline on a fire."

"When she does things like this, it makes me wish that I'd had her stripped of her parental rights when we got divorced. I'm so sorry, Kate."

"Alexis really struggled, Castle. I told her that I understood what she was going through. She started freaking out when her grades started to slip. I told her that was also normal. After all, her dad was missing. It's kind of hard to get on the dean's list when you have that hanging over your head."

"Maybe she should consider taking the rest of the semester off," Castle mused.

"She and I discussed that," Kate sat up in bed, settling against the headboard while Castle followed suit. "I told Alexis that whatever she decided had to be her decision. She could take the semester off or she could work her ass off to bring her grades back up. She talked to her professors and they all agreed to work with her. It meant having to write a lot of term papers, but I think she's done pretty well. Her GPA is going to drop a little, but at least she's not going to fail."

"Thank you," he whispered as she looked at him in confusion. "Thank you for looking out for her while I was gone."

"Castle, Alexis and your mother are my family now. We looked out for each other. My dad was a huge help, too. He gave Alexis an internship with his firm so she wouldn't be constantly thinking about you. It seemed to help and it gave her somebody else to talk to."

"Kate, why did you leave and go back to your apartment?"

"Castle, we've already talked about this," her eyes were wide and brilliantly green in her face.

"No, I've heard my mother's and Alexis' version of why you went back to your apartment. Every time I've asked _you_, you change the subject. Please tell me why, Kate. Why did you make the decision to be alone instead of here with people who care about you?"

"After Alexis asked Meredith to leave, it just got to be too much, Rick. I felt like I did right after my mom died. I just felt like I was spiraling and I didn't want your mother and Alexis to have to deal with that. They were dealing with their own grief. I didn't know what to say to them. I was having trouble handling your disappearance. I didn't know how to take care of them when I couldn't even take care of myself." Tears were now beginning to make a steady trail down her face. "At first, it took everything I had just to get out of bed in the mornings. Some nights, I'd find myself with your good Scotch—"

"I was wondering who had drunk my Scotch," he deadpanned.

"It made me realize how my dad had gone down that road. I think I called him one night after I drank too much. I don't remember much about that night. I just remember him showing up in our bedroom and sitting on the bed with his arms wrapped around me, rocking me like I was a little girl. I couldn't stop crying. He worried about me being alone, but I had to be alone, Rick. I couldn't take care of them when I couldn't even take care of _me_."

By now, they were both crying as Castle pulled her against his chest. "Kate, I am so sorry."

"How many times do I have to tell you that this wasn't your fault?" She pulled away and placed her hands on his face. "I don't blame you. Martha and Alexis sure as hell don't blame you. I love you. I want you to stop blaming yourself."

"I want to, Kate. I want to so badly. But when I see the pain that you, Mother, and Alexis are feeling, it makes it so hard."

"Castle, we're not in pain now. We have you back and like Martha said earlier, except for the amnesia, you're perfectly healthy."

"Except for ruining our wedding day by not showing up," his eyes were bleak.

"Hey, listen to me," she forced him to look at her. "When I was trying to straighten out the mess with Rogan O'Leary, you were the person who told me that I couldn't give up. Don't _you _give up on _me_, Richard Castle. We're going to get our happy ending, Castle. It's just going to take a little while longer to get there. Okay?"

"I promise that when you do get to walk down that aisle, it's going to be the most special day ever. I love you, Katherine Beckett," he let his lips close gently over hers, drinking her in as he lowered her down to the mattress.

"Does it involve white horses and an elaborate carriage?" She once again put her hands on either side of his face and gave him a mischievous smile.

"We'll talk about it," he lowered himself back down to her as she wrapped her leg around him to hold him closer to her.

**A/N #2: The next chapter will be after 7x06, because I can't think of a chapter for 'Meme is Murder.' That, and I really have ideas for after the wedding.**

**Follow me:**

**Twitter: at Caskett1960**

**Tumblr: Caskett1960**

**Facebook: Cindy Wylie**


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMERS: I own nothing that you would recognize.**

**SUMMARY: The events leading up to the wedding, those wonderful vows, and of course, Caskett's wedding night. This chapter is M-rated. **

**Chapter 4**

"_So, Katherine Beckett, will you marry me?"_

"_I've already said yes."_

"_Will you marry me right now?"_

Kate couldn't breathe. 'Oh my god, he's serious,' she thought to herself as she stared into his vivid blue eyes. "Right now? Here? In the middle of the precinct?"

Maybe he had hit his head when that flash bang had gone off. Maybe she should be taking him to the ER to get checked out. She knew that he felt like he'd ruined their wedding. Maybe she shouldn't have said what she'd said earlier that morning when he'd asked her if she was going to attend Tom Demmings' wedding. She knew how badly it had hurt him when she'd said that she wasn't ready to witness someone else's perfect day. It had just slipped out without her even thinking about it. But the look he'd given her had spoken volumes.

"Well, we could get married right here in the precinct, but I made a phone call. Judge Markway has waived the 24-hour waiting period for our marriage license if we get to his office in the next half hour. He said to call it a wedding present."

"Castle, I can't just walk out of here in the middle of my shift."

"Kate, I love you," he took her hands in both of his. "When I was in that alternative universe, I saw how awful our lives were without each other. It made me realize that I don't want to wait another day to make you my wife. Hell, I don't even want to wait another eight hours. I want to do this _now_. Today. If we leave now, we can be in the Hamptons by four. We can get married in _our _garden at sunset."

"Castle, what about our families?"

"I can call mother and Alexis right now. Call your dad. I'm sure that he'll take the rest of the day off to walk his daughter down the aisle," he grinned as she couldn't resist grinning back.

"What about the boys and Lanie?"

"Kate, you're raising all of these objections when we're wasting valuable time. Believe me, they'll understand. Call your dad," he nodded toward her cell phone. "I'll call mother, Alexis, and a JP that I know in the Hamptons. Then we'll go by the loft and get whatever we want to wear to get married. So, what do you say? Will you marry me today?"

Suddenly Kate was almost giddy with excitement. She felt the same kind of nervous excitement that she'd felt a year before when Rick had asked her to marry him. "Yes," she bit her bottom lip as she beamed at him. "I'll marry you, _now_, _today_."

His smile almost split his face in two, it was so wide. It took every ounce of willpower that he possessed not to sweep her off of her feet, but he'd made a promise to act professionally while they were in the precinct. "Okay. Great. I'm going to call mother and . . . and—"

"Alexis," she filled him for him.

"Yeah, Alexis. I'm going to call them while you call your . . . your—"

"My dad," she fought to keep from laughing. "Are you going to continue to be this tongue tied or will you make it through your vows?"

"No, I've known exactly what I was going to say to you for months. You make your call while I make mine."

Kate chuckled as she watched Castle stroll toward the break room. She then took a deep breath and scrolled down to her dad's name on her contacts list on her phone. He answered on the first ring. "Katie, this is a pleasant surprise. Is everything all right?"

"Everything's great, dad. Listen, Rick and I are getting married today."

"Today? Are you going to go to City Hall?"

"No, it's a long story, but Rick wants us to get married at the house in the Hamptons later this afternoon. He already talked to Judge Markway and he's waiving the 24-hour waiting period. We want to get married at around five or five thirty. I really need you to be there."

"Of course, Katie. I can leave right now and go home to get my good suit. I can be at the house by four or so."

"That's perfect. I'm sorry that it's such short notice, but Castle just asked me to do this. He's been struggling so hard since coming home. This means so much to him . . . to both of us."

"I know. Are you going to go out to the Hamptons with him?"

"Dad, I'm not letting him out of my sight. I love you and I'll see you in a few hours."

"I love you, too."

When they walked into the loft an hour later, Martha and Alexis were both anxiously waiting for them. "Richard, are you sure that you want to do this today? The two of you were making such elaborate plans before everything went to hell."

"Mother, we don't need all of the bells and whistles. Kate and I talked about it on the way home. We can still have a beautiful ceremony with the people that we care about the most. Now, do you girls have your wedding clothes packed?"

"Of course. We got ready as soon as we got off of the phone. When are we leaving?" Alexis asked.

"In about 20 minutes," Castle and Kate both walked into their bedroom. Castle watched as Kate walked to the very back of the closet and removed a black garment bag. "So, is that the dress?"

"No," she shook her head sadly. "We took my mom's dress to the cleaners, but unfortunately it was damaged beyond repair. I do think you're going to like this, though. You'll especially enjoy it tonight," she walked up and kissed him.

She walked past him into the bathroom, quickly putting her makeup into a toiletry bag. She paused, trying to think if she was missing anything. It didn't really matter because she had almost everything she needed at the Hamptons house. She looked one last time at the vanity before grabbing Castle's favorite perfume. "Kate?" She popped her head out of the bathroom, smiling at her future husband sitting on the edge of their bed. "Are you almost ready?"

"Yeah," she turned off the light and walked over to sit beside him on the bed. "Are you?"

"I think I'm more ready than I was the last time you asked me that question. Are you sure you're not worried about making the trip up there with me? After all, I'm really not supposed to see you."

"I'm not letting you out of my sight until we get to that house. Come on, let's go. We have a long drive. You have my ring and the marriage license?"

"Uh, let me check," he made a great show of patting his pockets as Kate just rolled her eyes at him. "I've got them. Do you have my ring?"

"Yes."

It was a beautiful sunny day for early November. Kate sat beside Castle in the front seat of his new Mercedes while Martha and Alexis followed behind in Martha's car. Kate could barely breathe, she was so excited. She and Castle made small idle chit chat on the drive up, while listening to songs on the radio.

It was a little before four when they arrived at the house. Castle checked his cell phone while Kate unlocked the door. "Justice of the Peace Whittier texted to let me know that he will be here at 5:15, so we can plan on getting married at around 5:30. Does that sound all right with you?"

"That sounds perfect," Kate smiled.

"Darling, let's get you upstairs and ready," Martha grabbed Kate's hand, practically dragging her up the stairs to the master bedroom. "Richard, you can get dressed in the downstairs guestroom. Don't you dare come upstairs to try to sneak a peek."

"I won't, mother," he watched his mother and fiancée go up the stairs with a wistful look in his eyes.

When the three women entered the master bedroom, Kate placed her garment bag on the bed and unzipped it, revealing a white lacy blouse and white pants. "Kate, this is beautiful," Alexis breathed as Kate removed the outfit from the bag. "Is it new?"

"I bought it for Black Pawn's Christmas party, but this morning when your dad asked me to marry him today; I thought that I'd wear it today instead. I'm going to take a quick shower and then I'll start getting ready."

Kate walked into the bathroom and closed the door. Alexis sat on the edge of the bed while her grandmother sat in a nearby chair. "This is so exciting," the younger woman smiled. "I'm so happy that dad and Kate are finally going to get married."

"So am I, kiddo. This has been a long time coming. I want to be a grandmother again while I'm still young enough to enjoy it."

"Gram, I have a feeling babies are still a little ways in the future," she was about to say something further when they heard the doorbell. "That can't be the JP."

"It might be Jim. I'll go and get it. You help Kate when she comes out of the shower."

Martha walked downstairs and opened the front door to find Jim Beckett standing there, a garment bag over his arm. "Hello, Martha."

"Hello, Jim. Please, come in. Kate is in the shower and Richard is getting ready down the hall. I suppose I should make some coffee."

"How are the bride and groom-to-be?"

"Much calmer than I am, at the moment," Martha stepped into the kitchen and began preparing a pot of coffee.

"I thought that I heard the doorbell," Rick came into the kitchen, wearing a robe. "How are you, Jim?" Rick shook the older man's hand.

"I'm good, Rick. I have to admit I was a little surprised by Katie's announcement."

"Yeah. So was she," he grinned. "Mother, Justice of the Peace Whittier will be here in about half an hour. Please listen for the door. I am going to get dressed."

"Rick?" Castle turned at the sound of Jim calling his name. "Can we talk when you have a spare minute?"

"Yeah. I should be ready in about 25 minutes or so," Rick walked back to the guestroom, wondering if he was about to get the 'If you hurt my daughter, I'll kill you' speech.

Upstairs in the master bedroom, Kate was sitting in front of the vanity mirror, but her hands were now shaking so badly that she couldn't function. Alexis immediately came to her rescue. "What did you want to do with your hair?" Alexis asked, taking Kate's hairbrush from her.

"Just bring the front of it back and put that clip in it," Kate pointed to a clip on the corner of the vanity. "I don't want to do anything too elaborate this time. Where's Martha?"

"Downstairs. I think your dad's here."

"He's here? Now?" Kate jerked around to look at Alexis.

"Kate, relax. You'll see him soon enough. Relax and let me fix your hair. Do you want to do your makeup or do you want me to do it?"

"I think I can handle my makeup. Thank you," she looked at Alexis' reflection in the mirror as the young woman went to work on Kate's hair.

"I'm so happy that you're finally able to marry my dad. I watch him when he's around you. He looks at you like you're the only woman in the room. Someday, I want someone to look at me like that."

"Someday, you're going to find that man, Alexis. Although your dad will never think so." 

"Thank you for never interfering in whatever issues we might have. I have friends with stepparents who are always taking sides. It just doesn't seem right to me."

"Alexis, I'm not your mother and I'll never try to take her place. I'll be your friend and you can always come to me for anything. I'll never judge and if you need my advice, I'll offer you whatever help that I can."

"Thank you, Kate," she smiled as she put the brush down. "What do you think?"

"It's perfect," Kate breathed. "I think I'm going to get dressed before I put my makeup on."

"Okay. I'm going to start getting dressed. Yell if you need anything."

"I will, Alexis. Thank you."

Downstairs in the guestroom, Rick was buttoning his shirt when Martha tapped lightly on his door. "May I come in?"

"Yes," he smiled at her before walking over and removing his tuxedo jacket from the back of the door. "You look lovely."

"Oh, thank you. I was about to go upstairs to see if Kate needed any help, but I wanted to talk to you first."

"Okay," he sat on the edge of the guestroom bed and patted the place beside him.

"The past six years, I've seen you at the happiest you've been since Alexis was born. Richard, you've always been a good boy, but Katherine has helped to turn you into a good man. But, you have also helped to change her."

"That's because I love her and she loves me. I've never felt this way about anybody, mother. She is truly the love of my life," his eyes shone bright with tears. "I wish that I could remember those two months. I never would've willingly left her, you, or Alexis."

"We know that," she patted his hand. "A part of all three of us died that day, Richard. But getting you back was like watching the sun come out after days of rain. Now, you're about to start the next chapter of your life. I wish you all of the happiness in the world as you start this new journey. I love you so very much," she embraced him tightly.

"I love you too, mother. I'll see you and Alexis outside soon," he pulled back and kissed her on the cheek. "Oh, tell Jim that I'll be out in just one minute."

Upstairs, Kate was trying to figure out how to tie the huge bow on the back of her pants. She had tried tying it several times, but it never seemed to center just right. She was about to scream in frustration when Martha knocked on the door. "I came to see if you needed some help."

"Oh Martha, yes! I can't get this bow just right."

Martha smiled when she entered the room. Kate was a vision in the lacy blouse, her hair pulled back in loose curls and the blue sapphires dangling from her ears. "You look gorgeous. Richard is going to stop breathing when he sees you."

Martha smiled as she expertly tied the bow in the small of Kate's back. "Thank you," Kate smiled.

"I'll go and tell your father that you're ready. I just want to tell you once again how happy you've made my son."

"He's made me very happy too, Martha. I've never felt like this with anybody before. He's given me a true family for the first time since my mom died. I love my dad, but we both changed when she died. The first time that I saw the three of you interact at the precinct after I'd arrested him that time, I could tell how close the three of you were. I was jealous of that closeness. Now I get to be a part of it."

"You are the daughter that I always wanted when Richard was growing up. I'm so happy to be one of those lucky mother-in-laws's who actually adores her daughter-in-law."

"Thank you, Martha," Kate hugged her.

"Now, I'll go see if your father has finished talking to your groom."

Downstairs, Castle found Jim out on the back patio, looking out to the archway where his only daughter was soon to be wed. "So, are you going to give me the speech?" Castle joked.

"Rick, I saw you try to save Katie's life when a sniper's bullet ripped into her chest. I have no doubt that you will never hurt her. I want to thank you for making her so happy. Before you entered her life, Katie was in a dark place. You made her see that life can be fun again."

"When I got divorced the second time, I had planned to never get married again. Then I met Kate. And I can tell you this much. I never plan on getting married again. Kate is it for me."

"I know," the older man smiled. "I see it every time you two look at each other."

"Pardon the interruption," Martha stepped outside. "Jim, Katie is ready. And Richard, the JP is on his way. He said he's about five minutes away."

"Rick, Katie and I will meet you in about 10 minutes," Jim patted Rick on the shoulder before he stepped back into the house.

Upstairs, Kate was staring out of the bedroom window when she heard a rap on the door frame. She turned and grinned from ear to ear when her father walked into the room. She walked over and hugged him. "Hi, dad," she greeted him.

"Katie, you look amazing. Your mother would be so proud if she could see the strong, capable woman that you've become. But I do know that she's up there today watching down on you as you begin this next part of your life. She's watching and she's so happy to see you getting married to such a good man."

"Were you this terrified when you married mom? I don't even know if terrified is the right word. One minute I'm calm and the next I can barely breathe."

"The nerves will disappear the second you see him at the end of that aisle. Speaking of which, maybe we should get down there," he smiled, offering her his arm.

Kate picked up the bouquet of pink roses that Alexis had brought her earlier and took her father's arm, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves as they began the descent down the stairs.

***CCC***

Rick strode across the lawn where the JP, his mother and Alexis were already waiting. He stepped up onto the altar and shook the JP's hand. "Thank you for coming on such short notice."

"My pleasure, Mr. Castle."

"My fiancée and I will be reciting our own vows, so you won't have much to do."

After embracing Alexis and Martha, he once again made a show of checking for Kate's ring, when he stopped in his tracks, his breath leaving him. Stunning was the first word that entered his brain. Kate was absolutely the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen in his life. Her eyes met his and she smiled as she walked down the aisle regally on her father's arm. It seemed to take forever before she reached the altar, when in reality it was probably less than two minutes.

Kate hugged her father before turning to face Castle. She looked down at the flowers in her hand before handing them out to Alexis. She then looked at Castle. "Hi," she managed to breathe out.

"Hi," he said back.

"Whenever you're ready," JP Whittier said as Kate looked at him as if noticing him for the first time, which was probably the case.

"Okay." She pulled Castle's ring from a small pocket in her waistband as he held his hand out toward her. She deftly slipped the ring onto his large finger before she began to speak. "The moment that I met you, my life became extraordinary. You taught me to be my best self. To look forward to tomorrow's adventures. And when I was vulnerable, you were strong. I love you, Richard Castle," he smiled at her as she continued. "And I want to live my life in the warmth of your smile and the strength of your embrace. I promise you I will love you, I will be your friend and your partner, in crime and in life. Always."

Castle then took Kate's hand in his, sliding her narrow wedding band above her engagement ring. "The moment we met, my life became extraordinary. You taught me more about myself than I knew there was to learn. You are the joy in my heart. You're the last person I want to see every night when I close my eyes. I love you, Katherine Beckett, and the mystery of you is the one I want to spend the rest of my life exploring. I promise to love you, to be your friend, and your partner in crime and in life. Till death do us part," he leaned toward her, "and for the time of our lives." She bit back a huge grin at that.

"By the power vested in me by the state of New York, I now promise you husband and wife," the JP intoned.

The words were barely out of his mouth before Kate had seized Castle's face, kissing him before her arms wound around his neck.

They were so wrapped up in each other that they barely heard the congratulations from their family. Soon, they broke apart to accept the hugs and well wishes from Jim, Martha, and Alexis. "Congratulations Mr. Castle and Mrs. Castle," J.P. Whittier shook both of their hands.

Martha went to the house, returning a moment later with a bottle of sparkling cider so that Jim could join in toasting the new couple, who had stayed on the altar, watching their families toasting their future happiness. Kate watched the proceedings with her head resting on Castle's shoulder, her hand wrapped around his upper arm. "Mrs. Castle, may I have this dance?"

Her new title sent a shiver down her spine. "There's no music," she reminded him.

She smiled brightly when Castle took his cell phone from his pocket and turned it on. He had set his iPod to play 'In My Veins.' He put the phone in his pocket as she placed one hand on his shoulder and the other in his hand as they began to dance to their song. The sunset was gorgeous and it was still warm enough so they could stay outside. Kate moved in Castle's arms, breathing in the scent of his cologne, feeling his hand securely holding her against him. She still couldn't believe that they were finally married. "It's perfect," she said in his ear.

Castle smiled at Kate's words. He knew that nothing could ever make up for what had happened in May, but to hear her tell him that he'd made her day; _their _day so perfect, so magical, warmed his heart. "I'm glad. I love you, Mrs. Castle."

"I love you, Mr. Castle," she moved back so that they could share a long, tender kiss.

Jim, Martha, and Alexis watched the newlyweds sharing their dance with smiles on their faces. "Look at them," Alexis said. "They look so happy."

"That's what true love looks like, kiddo," Martha told her granddaughter.

"Yes, it is," Jim agreed.

"We should say our goodbyes," Martha said. "I'm sure that they want to be alone."

While Kate and Castle acted disappointed that their family members were leaving so soon, they weren't really. Castle had big plans, plans that required both of them to be very naked, very soon. Jim hugged Katie tightly. "How long are you staying in the Hamptons?" He asked her.

"Uh, just tonight, I think. I'll be back in the city tomorrow afternoon."

"Enjoy yourself," Jim gave her a smile. "Call me tomorrow. We'll make plans to get together this weekend."

"Okay. Thank you, dad. I love you."

"I love you too, Bug. Rick," Jim turned to his new son-in-law. "Take care of my little girl."

"Yes sir, I will. Be careful driving back into the city."

"Katherine," Martha embraced her tightly, "welcome to the family."

"Oh, thank you, Martha." Kate then turned to Alexis. "Thank you, Alexis. For everything."

"Take care of my dad."

"I will," Kate smiled at Castle.

"We'll be home tomorrow," Castle hugged first his daughter and then Martha. "Call me when you get home. If I don't answer, leave a message."

"Okay."

Rick turned to Kate after their family had left them alone. "Take a walk with me," he held his hand out to her, watching her smile as she placed her hand in his.

They walked down to the beach where Kate removed her heels, holding them in her free hand while she walked beside her husband. Husband. That was such a magical word, full of so many new possibilities. She couldn't contain the huge smile on her face. The happiness she was feeling couldn't be held in. This had been the most perfect day ever. She stared up at Castle with her bright smile. "Thank you, Castle, for marrying me. For this perfect day."

"Always," he turned and tugged her into his arms, wrapping his arms low around her waist, feeling her step up with her arms wound around his neck. He could feel her shoes against his upper back as they got lost in each other. "Thank you for saying yes. Thank you for not giving up on me . . . on us."

"I'll never give up on you, Rick," she smiled at him with tears in her eyes. "I love you so much."

He kissed her again, but as they kissed, he could feel her starting to shiver. He stepped back and slipped out of his tuxedo jacket before putting it around her shoulders. He then put his arm around her, drawing her close as they began walking back toward the house.

When they re-entered the house, Kate was surprised to see that someone; probably Martha or Alexis, had put out a plate with fruit and cheese along with a bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket on the coffee table in the living room. Castle led them over to the sofa, opening up the champagne and pouring each of them a glass. He then took a seat, pulling her down to sit beside him. Kate shrugged his jacket off before taking the glass that he was offering her. "Mrs. Castle," he clinked his glass gently against hers, his smile lighting up his whole face.

"Mr. Beckett," she teased, taking a sip of the bubbly liquid. "Oh, that's good."

"This is a 2009 Dom Perignon."

"2009, huh?" She grinned, taking another sip.

"Yes, 2009 was a very good year," he took a sip.

"It was a great year, but 2014 is even better," she put her glass on the table before moving closer to him, taking his glass and setting it next to hers. "And I think that the years ahead of us are going to be even more wonderful. But right now, I want you to take me upstairs and make love to me."

Castle stood up and helped Kate to her feet before scooping her up in his arms. Kate laughed joyfully, winding both arms around his neck as he walked over and began making the trek up the stairs, stopping every few steps to smother her with kisses. By the time he reached their bedroom, they were both breathless and wanting.

Rick carefully lowered her to her feet before reaching up and sliding the lacy outer blouse off of her shoulders. He then pulled at the hem of the camisole she'd been wearing underneath and slipped it over her head, leaving her torso bare. He pressed kisses down her throat to her shoulders before moving his mouth lower and swirling his tongue over one of her nipples, causing her to groan loudly.

Kate's fingers instantly moved to Castle's hair, holding him against her breast. His fingers gripped her sides, tracing the long scar on her side as he held her still against him. Just as she felt that her knees were going to buckle, he moved back up, kissing her softly and sweetly. She opened her eyes to find that his were blue-black with his desire for her. She smiled, reaching her fingers up to touch his jaw. "Tell me that this isn't a dream," she whispered.

"Which part?"

"All of it. Did we really get married an hour ago?"

"Yeah," he grinned, reaching behind Kate to untie the bow on the back of her pants. "I can't wait to make love to you for the first time as a married woman."

"Tell me something," she began unbuttoning his starched white shirt. "Is married sex different than single sex? I mean, you've been married before. Technically, so have I, but I thought that it didn't count. You were married for real. Is it different?"

"Kate, I promised you a while ago that we will never be boring. You are the love of my life; my soul mate," he said as she grinned, biting her bottom lip. "Sex with you will always be a lot of things, but it's _never _going to be boring."

"Do you think you could prove that to me?"

"Oh, I intend to. _Many, many_ times," he gently tugged on her white linen pants, smiling broadly as they fell to the floor and she stepped out of them. Now all he had left to remove was the barely there scrap of cotton that counted as panties. It didn't take long for them to join the rest of her clothes on the floor of the bedroom.

Castle then guided Kate back until her knees hit the bed. She climbed up into the middle of it while he followed her, settling into the 'v' of her legs. She could feel his arousal pressing against her as he once again found her mouth with his, her mouth opening to him, tasting him, savoring the kiss. All too soon, he broke away from her and began moving down her body. She felt him lightly kissing the puckered scar near her breast before once again taking an engorged nipple into the wet heat of his mouth, his tongue flicking and swirling over first one nipple, and then the other. His fingers caressed the breast that wasn't being attended to by his lips and tongue.

Kate felt him moving lower, his lips kissing down her abdomen. She groaned at the feeling of his mouth on the insides of her thighs. He was so, so good at this. He was especially good at keeping her on tenterhooks wondering when he was going to touch her where she wanted him. But tonight, it was as if he knew that she wanted him badly. She carded her fingers into his hair, pulling him tighter into her at the first brush of his tongue against her wet folds. "Yes!" She hissed.

Castle pleasured her with his lips, tongue, and an occasional nip of his teeth, as he listened to the tell tale signs that his wife was getting close to orgasm. _Wife._ He still couldn't believe that they were finally married. He never wanted to forget the way that her eyes lit up when he'd asked her once again to marry him. The way that her breath caught in her throat. He wanted to forever have that effect on her. But right now, he wanted to join together with her for the first time as a married couple. He was so hard that he hurt. He moved away from Kate, listening to her disappointed whimper when she felt him move away from her.

Kate rose up on her elbows, wondering why Castle had stopped when she was so close. She smiled when she saw him quickly stripping out of his clothes before crawling over her body, nudging her legs further apart with his knees. She reached down to stroke him, smiling devilishly when he swallowed hard. He was so hard and so unbelievably hot in the palm of her hand. "I want you," she whispered, feeling him remove her hand from him and slowly slide into her tight, wet warmth. "Oh, that's perfect."

His lips came down on hers as he began to thrust into her, rubbing against her clit with every stroke. Kate wrapped her legs around his hips, changing the angle of penetration as she moved with him, clinging to his broad back, while they both kissed every inch of exposed skin that they could reach. Then, as if reading her mind, he rolled them so that she was now on top. She smiled down at him before rocking her hips against his, taking his hands and placing them on her breasts, guiding him as she kept moving. He was more than happy to oblige her when she took one of his hands and placed it between her legs, close to where they were joined. He rubbed her with the pad of his thumb as she cried out loudly before tightening around him.

She was still coming down from her orgasm when he once again rolled them, pounding into her as she kept screaming out her pleasure, along with several interesting new expletives that he filed in the back of his head for Nikki and Rook. However, his fictional characters were soon the furthest thing from his mind when he felt his own release slamming into him like a freight train. He shouted out Kate's name before spilling into her.

Castle collapsed onto Kate's shoulder, feeling her fingers stroking his sweaty back and neck, her lips soft against his shoulder. "That was . . . I am . . .—"

"I know. Me, too," she kissed his jaw and neck tenderly.

He rose up, kissing her softly before rolling over and tucking her against him, his heart pounding in his chest. "I love you, Mrs. Castle."

"I love you too, Mr. Castle."

"What? No Mr. Beckett this time? You know, you can still tease me even though we're married," he grinned at her.

"Oh, I know. And I will. But I can't tease my new husband after he made me scream like that," she kissed him.

"You did utter some new and rather creative curse words. You might see some of them in a future Nikki Heat book."

"I have to admit that I like married sex, so far."

"So do I."

"Maybe this time next year, we'll have someone new to celebrate our anniversary with," she commented as he looked at her in surprise. "No, I'm not yet, Castle. But I also know that I don't want to wait too long."

"Me, either. I can't wait for the two of us to have little Castle babies," his mouth covered hers as he slowly rolled them both over.

"Thank you for my perfect day, Mr. Castle," she kissed him as his hands began to roam her body.

"You're welcome, Mrs. Castle. Thank you for making my life perfect."

**A/N #1: I know the ending was a little treacly. Sorry that this took so long, but I'm making knitting projects for Christmas, and it's taking up a lot of my time. At this point I'm not even sure about the hiatus fic, although I do have an idea for one.**

**A/N #2: One more chapter after this.**

**Follow me:**

**Twitter: at Caskett1960**

**Tumblr: Caskett1960**

**Facebook: Cindy Wylie**


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMERS: No, although Christmas is coming. **

**SUMMARY: The four days at the Dude Ranch, Caskett style. **

**A/N #1: After Monday's episode, I've decided to add an epilogue. So there will be one more short chapter after this one. Once again, we have an M-rated chapter.**

**A/N #2: This chapter is for my former Unmuse, Chuck, who asked for a chapter dealing with Castle removing that white dress and all of those petticoats from Kate. So, this is for you, Chuck. I hope you enjoy.**

**A/N #3: I want to thank The Writer's Muse, who pointed out that it was Sorenson who was getting married and not Demming. Sorry for the error. I knew it was Sorenson. I guess I had Demming on the brain.**

**Chapter 5**

Kate was on her way out of the door when her cell phone rang. She looked at the caller id and groaned. "Beckett," she answered.

"Det. Beckett, please tell me that you and Mr. Castle haven't left for the airport, yet. I have some news," Capt. Gates voice came over the line.

"Uh, Castle's getting our bags loaded now. Is there more on the case?"

"No, the case is wrapped up. Here, I'll let someone else fill you in." 

"Beckett, how's Arizona? Are you and Castle getting tans?" Esposito asked.

"Hey, Espo. What's up?"

"Ryan and I . . . well, we want to apologize for getting our panties in a twist about you and Castle getting married without us."

"Javi, I'm really sorry. Like I said, it was last minute," Kate glanced at her watch. "Look, I need to get downstairs. Our flight leaves in a few hours. I'll talk to Castle and we'll go to The Old Haunt this weekend."

"Well, that's just it, Beckett. As a wedding gift and to apologize for our behavior, Ryan and I want to give you two of our vacation days apiece."

"Did Gates put you up to this? The truth, Javi," Kate warned.

"Well, she did tell us that we were acting like girls who didn't get invited to the dance instead of being happy for the two of you. But, we want to do this for you, Kate. Please accept it. You deserve a few days with no body drops."

Kate smiled, blinking back tears. "You boys are so sweet. Thank you. But the offer of drinks at The Old Haunt stands."

"Are drinks on Castle?"

"Of course," Kate chuckled.

***CCC***

Castle was putting the last of their bags into the stagecoach when he felt something fall over his head and around his shoulders. He looked down to see a rope around his shoulders. Suddenly the rope tightened and he felt himself being pulled backwards. He turned to find Kate on the wooden sidewalk, a huge smile on her face as she tugged the rope . . . and him toward her. But, what was most surprising was her attire. When he'd left to come downstairs with their bags, she was dressed in skinny jeans, his favorite blue blouse and boots.

Now she was dressed in a white dress, corseted so tightly that the tops of her breasts could be seen. The dress flowed around her over several petticoats. There was no way that she could possibly be thinking of wearing that on the plane ride home. "Hey, cowboy," she drawled sensuously, "where ya goin' in such a hurry?"

"Kate, what are you doing? We have a plane to catch. We need to go. You have to be at the office in the morning."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do," he argued back.

"No, I don't. As a wedding present, Ryan and Esposito have given me two of their vacation days each."

"And you want to spend it here?" He was almost giddy with the idea.

"Yes," she wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him down for a long kiss. "But, we're still going to do the island getaway, right?"

"Oh, yeah," he kissed her back, his arms slipping low around her waist.

"Since we get to have a real honeymoon, do you think that we could possibly upgrade our accommodations?" She smiled at him.

"I think that can be arranged."

After going inside and arranging for a room in the hotel, Castle had their bags taken to their new room before offering his arm to Kate. She smiled at him before looping her hand in his arm. "Where are we going?"

"We're on our honeymoon, Kate. No body drops, no paperwork, no phone calls at three in the morning. I know that tradition dictates that we're supposed to spend most of that time in bed; right now I want to see the town with my favorite girl."

Her smile was breathtaking. "Show me around the town, Cowboy?" She drawled.

"I'll be happy to, little lady," he tipped an imaginary cowboy hat as her smile grew even larger.

They walked out of the hotel and down the dusty sidewalk, walking into the various shops along the way. The weather was sunny and warm, a far cry from what they would face when they returned to New York. Kate kept her hand tucked into Castle's arm, occasionally stopping to plant a kiss on his bicep. "Did you play Cowboys and Indians when you were a kid?" She asked him. She loved hearing stories about his childhood.

"My favorite shows were Gunsmoke, Bonanza, and Maverick. When I got older, I used to wonder what went on between Marshall Dillon and Miss Kitty when she left The Long Branch."

"Well, I don't recall Miss Kitty ever having to rescue Marshall Dillon from a showdown," she smirked.

"Did you pack that black outfit? Because it was super, super hot."

"You wanted to peel me out of all of that black leather, did you, Cowboy?" She trailed her fingers down his arm, watching him swallow, his Adam's Apple bobbing. "What do you think of what I'm wearing now?" She slid her hand down her body like a model would.

"It's . . . it's . . . also very hot," he finally managed to stammer.

"Do you want to take me back to our room and peel me out of this?" She stepped up, ghosting her lips over his before biting his lip and thrusting her tongue inside, swallowing his groan of surprise and pleasure.

"What about our tour of the town?"

"Castle, do you want to see the town or do you want to see me _naked_?"

"Oh, I always want to see you naked. Let's go," he took her hand, listening to her delighted laugh as he tugged her back toward the hotel.

The second that they walked into the room, Castle pushed Kate up against the door, kissing his way down her throat to the valley of her breasts while he reached down to lift up her dress, fumbling like a schoolboy at the layers of cotton and crinoline. "How many petticoats are you wearing?" He growled.

"What's wrong, Cowboy? Is my dress too much of a challenge for you?" Her eyes were flashing mischievously, her fingers reaching down to the fly of his pants.

"No, I . . . I like the challenge," he swallowed as she continued gently brushing her fingers over him.

His fingers traveled up to the laced up back of the dress and he slid his finger into one of the loops and pulled, freeing the back of the dress while Kate exhaled a huge breath of relief. "Thank you. I don't see how women wore these things way back when."

Instead of answering, Castle pulled the top of her dress down, exposing her breasts to his eager mouth and fingers. Kate closed her eyes, throwing her head back against the door when she felt his mouth close over her breast, his tongue swirling over her nipple. He reached behind her with one hand and released the button at her waist, opening the skirt. He impatiently yanked it over the petticoats and Kate stepped over it. "Well, that's one layer down. Only 15 to go," he smirked at her.

"More like six. Like I said, if you're not up to the challenge—"

"No, I'm definitely 'up' for it," he grinned, straightening up and pulling her into his arms, relishing the feel of her bare torso pressed against him. "I'm very much 'up' for it."

"Yeah, I can tell," she pressed her hand against the buttons of his pants. With nimble fingers, she opened his fly, placing her hand inside his boxers and wrapping her fingers around him. "Yeah, you're definitely up for it."

"Kate," his voice was a hoarse growl as she continued sliding her hand up and down his erection.

"Hmm?" She gave him a sly smile before sinking to her knees in front of him. Staring up at him, she slowly took the head of his cock into her mouth, flicking it with her tongue.

Castle thought that his knees were going to buckle when Kate slowly took him deeper into her mouth. He closed his eyes, counting backwards, memorizing state capitals, anything to keep from exploding in her mouth. Kate was so fucking good at this. Every time she did this to him, he never lasted long. "Shit, Kate," he placed his hand on the door to keep himself upright. "Damn! You need to stop."

Kate grinned around him, cupping his balls in her hand, rolling them gently. Finally, she released him from her mouth with a soft 'pop,' rising to her feet and wrapping her arms around Castle. She kissed him before taking his hand from the door frame and walking him backwards toward the brass four-poster bed in the center of the room. His knees hit the edge of the bed and he fell down hard. Still smiling softly with her bottom lip tucked between her teeth, she unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off of his shoulders. Settling herself between his knees, she kissed a path from his jaw down his chest and torso. "Lift up," she urged him, as he lifted his hips, allowing her to pull his pants and boxers down his legs, only to be stopped by the cowboy boots that he was wearing.

Remembering every old cowboy movie she'd ever seen growing up, Kate straddled Castle's lower leg with her back to him, grabbed his boot and tugged hard. The force of the boot coming off sent Kate flying. "Are you all right?" Castle asked.

"That move always looked so much sexier in Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne movies," Kate began struggling to her feet as Castle yanked his other boot off.

"From my vantage point, it was very sexy," he reached for her hand when she approached the bed. She finished undressing him before climbing up over him, all of her petticoats spreading out over the two of them. "Very sexy indeed," he raised up to kiss her, letting his hands roam down her back to the first of the six petticoats, flicking opened the button and lowering it over her buttocks.

"Castle, hurry," she nipped at his bottom lip.

"Hey, you're the one who put on six petticoats. You know how I love undressing you."

"Well, I'm impatient and very, very horny," she raked her teeth down his jaw.

With a speed Kate wasn't even sure he possessed, Castle expertly flipped her onto her back, removing the remaining five petticoats and then stopped, his expression amused, but lust-filled at what she was wearing underneath. "Pantaloons? Really, Beckett?" 

"I wanted the whole experience," she took his hand and pressed it into the heat between her legs. "Now, I just want you."

He settled himself over her, his erection rubbing against her still covered center, eliciting a sexy as hell groan from his wife. Their tongues dueled each other as they kissed hungrily. Breaking away from Kate, Castle let his lips and tongue blaze a wet trail down her body. She smelled so good; like vanilla, cherries, and Kate, herself. Castle could never get enough of her. He slipped the corset off of her before reaching for the button on the side of the pantaloons, and sliding them down her legs, dropping them to the floor by the bed. He brushed his fingers against her warm wetness, smiling into her eyes as she bit her lip and squirmed under his ministrations. He finally removed his fingers from between her legs and settled himself against her, slowly pushing into her, listening to Kate sigh and wrap her legs around his calves.

His mouth crushed down on hers as they moved together in the same harmony they'd always shared since their first night together. "I love you," Castle whispered into her neck.

"I love you too, babe," Kate's nails scored Castle's back and ass as she bucked against him. "Castle, I'm so close."

"Me, too," his lips moved down to her jaw, and that particularly sensitive spot near her ear.

"Touch me, Rick," she took his hand and moved it down to where they were joined.

She arched her back and mewled at the feel of Castle's fingers pressing down on her engorged clit, rubbing it in circles just the way he knew that she liked. Castle groaned at the sensation of her squeezing around him, her inner muscles spasming around him, which was enough to push him over the edge. He thrust into Kate three times more, crying out her name before spilling into her.

After a few minutes Castle rolled over onto his side, tucking Kate against him. She started laughing at the trail of clothes that had been left from the door to the bed. "Now I know why they call those books bodice rippers," she softly kissed his jaw and chin.

"Yeah, the guys in those books rip clothes off out of impatience. But I have to say you've never looked sexier."

"I like dressing up for you. Thanks for not ripping the dress off of me. I kind of like it," she moved up, kissing him again, slow and lazily, letting her hands roam down to fondle him, feeling him begin to harden once again. "Can we stay in this bed for the next four days?"

"We'll do whatever you want," he grabbed her around the waist, hauling her on top of him.

"Good."

**A/N #4: The final chapter will deal with Kate's move from her apartment to Castle's loft. Hopefully I will have the first chapter of my Winter Hiatus fic up next week.**

**Follow me:**

**Twitter: at Caskett1960**

**Tumblr: Caskett1960**

**Facebook: Cindy Wylie**


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMERS: I don't own anything that you would recognize.**

**A/N #1: This is the epilogue which takes place at the end of 'Last Action Hero.' **

Epilogue

Castle was in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on a huge bowl of popcorn when he heard Kate's key in the door. He smiled broadly when his wife entered the loft and immediately hung her coat and scarf in the closet. "Hi," he greeted her, coming around the counter and kissing her. "Did you get your errand finished?"

"Yeah."

"Are you okay? I'm sorry about the whole semi-illegal, break-in thing. Although it was kind of cool acting like an action movie star for a little while," he said with a twinkle in her eye.

"I'm not upset because you wanted to hang with your idols, Castle. Can we talk about something before we sit down to watch 'Hard Kill?'"

"You don't want to wear the archaeologist outfit?"

"Castle, can you please be serious for just five minutes?" She turned and strode over to the sofa, throwing herself down on it angrily.

"I'm sorry." He walked over and sat down beside her. "Kate? Whatever I've said or done, please tell me." He was surprised when she reached up and wiped at her face. "Please don't cry. Kate, I can't fix it if I don't know what's broken."

"Do you remember when we were packing up at my apartment and you said how glad you were that I was moving into the loft because of the creaking floorboards and being able to hear everything from my neighbor's apartment?"

"Well, the floorboards _were _creaky and as for the neighbor—"

"I know that you've wanted me to give up my apartment for a long time. I guess that I wanted to hold on to my memories for as long as I could. I invited Lanie over last night and we had a long talk. I didn't understand why your comments upset me so much—"

"Kate, I never meant to hurt your feelings."

"Rick, it's okay," she turned to face him. "Lanie told me that I was reluctant to permanently give up my apartment because it was where I put my life back together after I was shot. That apartment was where I . . . where _we _solved my mom's murder," he smiled at her words. "But the most important thing of all was that apartment was where I fell in love."

"With Dr. Motorcycle Boy?" He couldn't help teasing as she picked up a pillow and hit him in the chest with it.

"No, you big dope," she leaned forward and kissed him. "Do you remember when I showed you the murder board I had set up in my apartment?"

"Yeah," he leaned back, propping himself on his elbow. "You said that Josh didn't even know about it."

"After you disappeared—" her voice cracked at the memory. "When I left here and went back to my apartment, I set up another board. It had to do with your disappearance. I had a picture of you on it and all of the newspaper articles. When I couldn't sleep, I'd stand at the window and stare at it. I'd stare at it like I'd stare at your picture on the murder board at the precinct and will you to please come home to me."

"I'm sorry, Kate," he slipped his arms around her, drawing her close to him. "I'm so, so sorry. Why didn't you say something? We're supposed to be getting better at this whole communication thing."

"I thought that I was just being silly," she whispered against the broad plane of his chest.

"No, I was being insensitive. I've never heard you make any cracks about the loft. I'm sorry," he said once again.

"I remember screaming the night that Bobo Fett scared the hell out of me."

Castle grinned, remembering that first magical night that she'd slept with him. At some point during the night, she'd gotten up to relieve herself. Her shocked and terrified scream had roused him from slumber. That was when he'd realized that she'd encountered his life-sized _Star Wars _figure in the bathroom. "Yeah, I guess I should've warned you about him."

"Castle, I have a lot of wonderful memories of my old place," she pulled back, cupping his face in her hands. "But I also have a lot of awful memories. Now, I'm looking forward to creating new memories here with you."

"Do any of those memories involve an archaeologist outfit and a whip?" He waggled his eyebrows at her.

"We'll talk. Start the movie. I'll grab the popcorn and the wine," she kissed him before getting up from the sofa and heading for the kitchen.

Watching her walk across the room, Castle smiled, thinking of the wonderful memories that lay ahead. "Do any of those memories include Castle babies?"

"Someday," she turned to smile at him. "Someday very soon."

FIN

**A/N #2: I had to put the crack about Castle being serious after a review that I read online regarding 'Bad Santa.' **

**Follow me:**

**Twitter: at Caskett1960**

**Tumblr: Caskett1960**

**Facebook: Cindy Wylie**


End file.
